Workers’ Stress During the First Lockdown

OBJECTIVE: This study sheds light on the pathways leading to an increase in workers stress levels and the resulting effects on job performance during a pandemic. METHODS: Path analyses were conducted on a sample of 459 Canadian workers using MPlus software. These analyses allowed us to determine whether the association between potential stressors during lockdown and job performance was mediated by workers' stress. RESULTS: The results revealed four significant indirect associations. Work-life balance dissatisfaction, gender (women), and marital tensions were indirectly associated with lower job performance because of their positive associations with stress. Teleworking was associated with higher job performance because of its negative association with stress. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that specific stressors are worth targeting with interventions to ensure job performance.